Seed planting apparatus, systems and methods

Abstract

A seed meter includes a seed disc rotatable in a direction of rotation. The seed disc has a plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as the seed disc rotates and on which seeds from a seed source are entrained. A singulator is disposed along to the circular path. The singulator has a plurality of outer lobes and a first orientation lobe located downstream of the outer lobes. As the entrained seeds rotate along the circular path, the first orientation lobe contacts the entrained seeds to change their orientation. In some embodiments, the first orientation lobe may be disposed to remove excess seeds from the apertures and a second orientation lobe may change the orientation of the entrained seed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A seed meter comprising:
 a seed disc rotatable within a housing in a direction of rotation, said seed disc including a seed side having a plurality of seed apertures, said plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as said seed disc rotates in said direction of rotation, said plurality of seed apertures entraining seeds from a seed pool as said seed disc rotates in said direction of rotation; 
 a first brush disposed in said seed meter on said seed side; 
 a second brush disposed in said seed meter on said seed side; and 
 a flap pivotably attached to a lower end of said first brush; 
 wherein when said seed meter is in a transport position, said flap pivots under gravity and contacts said second brush, and wherein when said seed meter is in a working position, said flap pivots under gravity away from said second brush. 
 
     
     
       2. The seed meter of  claim 1 , wherein said seed disc, said flap, said first brush, and said second brush cooperate to prevent seeds from said seed pool passing through an exit in said seed meter when said seed meter is in said transport position. 
     
     
       3. The seed meter of  claim 1 , further comprising a seed singulator. 
     
     
       4. The seed meter of  claim 3 , wherein when said seed meter is in said working position, any entrained seeds removed from said seed apertures by said singulator pass between said first brush and said second brush and are returned to said seed pool. 
     
     
       5. The seed meter of  claim 1 , wherein said first brush is closer to a vertical orientation than a horizontal orientation when said seed meter is in said transport position. 
     
     
       6. The seed meter of  claim 1 , wherein said second brush is closer to a horizontal orientation than a vertical orientation when said seed meter is in said transport position. 
     
     
       7. A seed meter, comprising:
 a seed meter housing having an interior volume and defining a seed exit, said seed meter housing having a seed side housing portion and a vacuum side housing portion, said seed side housing portion in seed communication with a seed source and defining a seed pool area, said vacuum side housing portion in communication with a vacuum source, said meter housing pivotable about a generally horizontal axis between a working orientation and a transport orientation, whereby in said working orientation said seed exit is oriented generally toward a direction of gravity, and whereby in said transport orientation said seed exit is oriented at an angle relative to said direction of gravity; 
 a seed disc rotatable disposed within said interior volume of said seed meter housing between said seed side housing portion and said vacuum side housing portion, said seed disc having a plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as said seed disc rotates in a direction of rotation; 
 at least one brush disposed in said seed side housing portion of said seed meter housing; 
 a flap pivotally disposed in said seed side housing portion, whereby when said seed meter housing is in said working orientation, said flap pivots under influence of gravity such that said flap is generally parallel to said direction of gravity, and whereby when said housing is in said transport orientation said flap pivots under influence of gravity such that said flap is at an angle relative to said direction of gravity and cooperates with said seed disc and said at least one brush to prevent seed in said seed pool from entering said seed exit.